Wire-coiling apparatus



1945- c. R. BERGEVIN 2,388,630

WIRE COILING APPARATUS Filed July 9, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1.

INVENTOR; CHARLES R. BERGEVIN ATTORNEY 1945- c. R. BERGEVIN 2,388,630

WIRE COILING APPARATUS Filed July 9, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG g 124 8/ we 25 04 /22 /23\ i .75 m} 75 102 I0 INVENTOR;

CHAR/.53 R. BERGER/IN Patented Nov. 6, 1945 Winn-comma mane-ms Charles It. Bergevin, Torrlngton, Conm, assignor to The Torrington Manufacturing 00., Tor-rington, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application July 0, 1943, Serial No. 494,105

28 Claims.

The Letters Patent to which reference is particularly made in the present connection, are, in order issue, No. 2,119,002, Bergevin and Nigro; 2,170,984, Bergevin and Halvorsen, and 2,276,579, Halvorsen and Bergevin.

The general principles characterizing the machines covered by the patents aforesaid, and with important modifications, similarly characterizing the present improvements, follow a now well established practice in spring coiling, involving the propulsion of a predetermined length of wire stock, through friction created by wire feed rollers. into a coiling or forming zone. Adjacent to, and

. similarly between diflerent pairs of feed rollers where more than one pair are employed, and likewise beyond the feed rollers, the wire stock is completely embraced by wire confining guides. The stock is then moved over (or under according to whether the coil is of right or left handed type) an arbor, usually of at least partly arcuate contour. The wire stock is thence impelled against an abutment or coiling point, which coacts with the arbor in deflecting the wire stock into the requisite succession of convolutions or turns, to form, say a spring, of desired characteristics. Actual bending of the wire stock into the convolutions, and hence into the coil, takes place over the arbor, which accordingly serves as a fulcrum; the

resistance to bending reacts on a wire guide placed closely adjacent the arbor, and the coiling tool 01' whatever shape, serves as an abutment, whether movable, normally moving, or stationary. Accordingly, the wire stock is bent by pressures and reactions in the three zones described, namely, a

first zone immediately adjacent the arbor, a second in or on the guide, and third at the coil abutment. v

Wire coiling or spring-winding apparatus of the types heretofore in 'use are principally of a distinctly intermittent type, not well adapted for production of springs having non-circular convolutions, as the low permissive rates of oscillation incident to frequent starting and stopping of certain oi. the elements of this type of device, preclude the attainment of any substantial output, particularly of multi-sided springs, per operator per machine per unit of time. Furthermore, the devices heretofore characterizing the prior art, at least in the general type of apparatus heretofore referred to, have been capable of forming coils of only a single type of convolutions, viz., one of truly circular shape, or substantially so. Heretofore, springs having non-circular coils could be satisfactorily formed only by winding the stock over a mandrel shaped to the inside dimensions of the spring. By reason of the recoil in the wire stock. the mandrel was necessarily twisted or spiralled to a predetermined degree, by methods involving trial and error in reshaping the mandrel. The spiral of the mandrel thus permitted the spring to recoil when removed therefrom, so as to result in a reasonable alignment of non-circular coils, known in the traders a flat spring." It is well known after coiling of the wire stock, to utilize heat treatment of various sorts together with various setting operations, all to the end of relieving stresses in the stock and thus to fix the final extended length of spring. The various fixing operations, as is well known, will further spiral the completed spring, which requires further trial-- and-error spiralling of the mandrel in order successfully to anticipate to an exact degree the recoil of the wire in order that the completed spring possess the requisite flat characteristic. Accordingly the present improvements have as one important objective, the result of obviating the time-consuming and uncertain practices heretofore attending a satisfactory, albeit slow formation of coil springs characterized by non-circular turns.

The invention has as a further important obiect the provision of means for coiling wire stock, as to form springs for example, in which the finished article may be characterized selectively by triangular, rectangular, square, oval or polygonally shaped turns, and in which the shaping of the turns within reasonable limits, and the spiralling characteristic of the coil or spring, may be varied at any instant, during processing of the wire stock to form the finished coil.

Yet another object of the invention is attained in facilities for adjustment for controlling the spiral of the coil in a manner to provide instant control of the shaping of the spring or different parts thereof, while being produced, thus enabling an operative allowance for reasonable variations in wire temper, slight gauge diflerences 2 assasso and other characteristics affecting the spiralling tendencies of the finished product.

Yet another and extremely important objectiv of the present improvements is attained in apparatus for coiling wire stock (hereinafter for brevity referred to as spring coiling) which enhances the rate of spring production possible, in comparison with the heretofore prevailing types of apparatus, increasing a number of times, the output per machine and operator. This is rendered possible by a mode of operation which, while not necessarily so, is preferably of a truly continuous nature throughout, and in which all major moving parts acting upon the wire stock are normally in true rotation rather than subjected to alternate frequent starting and stopping cycles, whereby uniformity of shaping is assured, not only of each coil or turn, but likewise uniformity of the entire spring and all springs formed during a given setup of the machine.

A further objective which, as far as is known constitutes a material departure from the devices of the prior art, consists in the use of a continuously rotating, carefully timed coiling abutment, in the nature of a cam, mutilated wheel, or segmental disc, and which, due to its own motion, exhibits a wiping action on the wire stock differduce an irregular or non-circular spring, and with remarkable uniformity of characteristics of the finished product.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawings, it will be noted that, if desired, the present improvements may be embodied, as to essential parts at least, as an attachment to existing machines of the general types illustrated by the three patents hereinabove noted. Since some of the mechanism therein illustrated is not necessary to the present practice, and since it is desirable to add certain other features for best results in the present practice, a form of apparatus will be described which is now regarded as embodying a minimum of parts and a relatively simplified construction.

In Fig. 1 it will appear that the frame structure includes a base ll, vertically mounted on ing from that attained by abutment of the wire against an instantly fixed coiling point or the like.

Still further objects include the provision for an instantly variable, yet exactly timed operating relation between wire feed rolls and a rotary abutment coacting therewith; the attainment of a simole yet positive expedient for variation of the spiral or wind of the body of the formed spring or coil; this improvement is exemplified in the pres- Fig. 1 is an and elevation of a spring coiling machine to which the present improvements are applied;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a. portion of the front of the machine shown by Fig. 1, and showing the movable wire-enga ing and-forming elements thereof and parts of the driving mechanism therefor, a portion of the front frame member of the machine being broken away for clearness of illustration of certain parts rearwardly thereof:

Fi s. 3, 4, 5. 6 and 7 are dia rammat c illustrations, yet proportioned in accordance with onerative structure, showing successive stages of operation on the wire stock incident to the coiling of one type of spring characterized by noncircular convolutions;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the spring resulting from the method to be described, and

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the spring shown by Fig. 8.

The apparatus now to be described has, in its essential features, heretofore been successfully employed for the production of springs of the type shown by Figs. 8 and 9, and accordingly, without limitation as to other possibilities, will be described with reference to the spring of oval section and its formation, as illustrated. This particular type of spring has been and is being produced in substantial quantities for a military usage more particularly in army ordnance, at a much lower cost than heretofore possible to prowhich at the front is a relatively heavy fore plate ii anda rear plate it, between these elements there being mounted and suitably joumalled for rotation, the several operating, connecting and driving shafts, and between the plates, or forwardly or rearwardly thereof, are carried the various elements of gearing for interconnecting, in suitably timed relation, the other operative elements to be described.

As a convenient means for powering the machine an electric motor II is connected by a multiple belt drive It to a sheave II, and the latter, through a friction clutch assembly It, serves to rotate a shaft ll. -The latter shaft preferably constitutes th'e power input element of a suitable speed-change gearing unit 20, provided with a control arm .or handle 2i, and a power takeoff shaft 22 which serves to carry a pinion 23. Pinion 23 is in mesh with a gear 24, the latter being secured in driving relation to shaft 28 carried by and .iournalled in the frame members ii and if. The shaft 28 is accordingly a variable speed power shaft, and as far as the structure has been thus far described, this element corresponds in general purpose with the. shaft 28 of Patent 2,276,579. It will have readily appeared that, through clutch IS, the motor drive may if desired, be selectively operatively connected to or disconnected from the speed-change unit 20 for purposes of starting or stopping the machine, the clutch it being under control of a throwout rod 30 pivotally connected at 3| to a clutch operating lever 32. It will be apparent that in keeping with well known practice, the rate of operation of the machine as a whole may be varied by manual actuation of lever 2|. I

Proceeding now to a description of the wire feed rolls and drive therefor, there are located just forwardly of the front element I l of the machine, and in its upper portion, at least a pair, but preferably two pair of frictional feed rolls, the left hand pair being indicated at 33 above, and 14 below, an upper right hand roll 35 and a lower companion roll it. Each of the feed rolls is peripherally grooved as at 31, the size of these rooves bearing an approximate relation to the diameterof the wire stock being fed. This also is true of a series of fixed guides for the wire stock, one pair of which is shown at 40 and Ii, and between which enters the wire W, from a supply roll or prestraightening device. A similar pair of wire guides is shown at 42 and 43, between the two pairs of feed rolls, and a still further pair of guides 44 and I! serve to receive the wire stock W just beyond the second pair of feed rolls.

The uppermost rolls :3 and I! of the paired assacso 3 sets, are each mounted in a vertically adjustable guide block 88, there being provided for each of the blocks 88 a crosshead recessopen at itstop. the rolls 8: and 88 being respectively mounted each on one of the blocks 88, and the latter are biased downwardly as shown in Fig. 2, by a relatively heavy bow spring 81 the opposite ends of which bear against the respective blocks 88, and adjustment of loading of spring 81 being provided for by a hand wheel '88 actuating a threaded shank II operating in a suitably tapped opening (not shown) in the top of the frame member II.

A normal and preferably continuous rotation of the wire feed rolls is eifected by the rotation of shaft 28, controlled "as heretofore described, there being also secured to shaft 28, a gear 88 which enmeshes with a pinion 88. The latter gear is in turn secured to and carried by a shaft 81 which constitutes the power input member of a variable speed drive unit 88. The unit 88 is, by great preference, of a type such as to enable what maybe referred to as a micrometric variation between input drive speed and speed of its power output member, and further such as to provide within only reasonable limits, a substantially infinite variation in this ratio. Several types of unit for such purpose are available to the trade, among which may be noted as exemplifying, the so-called "U. S. Varidrive manufactured by U. S. Electric Motor Co. of Chicago, Illinois. For the purpose of effecting a nicety of speed ratio regulation through the unit 88, the latter is provided with a rotary control shaft 8| and a hand wheel 82, the shaft 8| extending conveniently through a, hollow or quill shaft 63, and the latter extending for- Waldly of the frame element II in which it is or may be journalled. Carried by the end portion of the quill shaft 83, is a drive gear 88, the latter enmeshing with a feed roll drive gear 85 similarly mounted forwardly of the foreplate II of the machine. Gear 88 is secured to and serves to rotate a shaft 88,. to which at the opposite end of the machine, is secured a gear 81. and enmeshing therewith, a gear 88 carried by and secured to a shaft 89.

As will appear, one pair of the feed rolls such as 38 and 84, may be secured to and operated by the shafts 88 and 88 respectively and so are positively her I8 is actuated, will perhaps best appear from Fig. 2, wherein it will appear that through the train of gears 85, 88. I8, I8 and 88, the member I8 is rotated at a predetermined rate and in constant timing with respect to the shaft 28.

It may be noted as a preference that the shaft 8I, or at least the end thereof which extends through the front frame element II, be arranged for a moderate range of adjustment to the right or left (Fig. 2) and along a horizontal path. This acUustment is cared for in the present example by journalling the shaft 8| in a slidable block 85 rotated by the train of gearing described, in the 1 direction shown by the arrows in Fig; 2. In a similar manner, feed rolls 85 and 88 are geared together by suitable pinions (not shown) and one thereof, say the gear actuating roll 88, may be driven through an intermediate gear (not shown) powered say from gear 81.

Proceeding now to a description of the rotary abutment or segmental roll, this element which is indicated generally at 15, serves, as will later more clearly appear, as a coiling or bending tool, in coaction with a forming arbor also to be described. In the present machine, the segmental roll is a truly rotary member operating counterclockwise as shown by the arrow (Fig. 2) being driven through a train of gearing directly actuated by the shaft 28 heretofore referred to. It

has before been pointed out that gear 56 carried by shaft 81, enmesheswith gear 85 on shaft 28; in mesh with gear 86 and on the opposite side thereof, is a gear I6 carried by, a shaft", the gear "in turn being meshed with a gear I8. the latter carried by a shaft I8 and in turn operatively engaging a gear 88 carried by a shaft 8I. Shaft 8| is or may be directly connected with the segmental roll or cam 18. The relation of elements in the train of gearing through which the memwhich is arranged for a reasonable latitude of reciprocal movement within a guideway constituted in part by elements 88, a mounting arm 81 serving to secure this end of shaft 8|, to the slidable block 85. For a P rpose later appearing there is preferably provided an adjusting screw 88 threaded through a fixed piece 8 I, and provided with an actuating wheel 82 and a jam nut 93. It is a preference that the inner end of the screw shank 88 be rotatable in, but axially fixed to the block 85 and a further preference that the threads characterizing the shank 88 be unusually close, the resulting fine threading of this screw serving, in effect, to constitute what may be termed a micrometric adjustment of the horizontal position of the end of shaft 8I as well as gear 88 and most importantly, the segmental roll or cam I8. There may, if desired, be provided a similar adjustment for effecting bodily movement of the opposite end of shaft 8|, but in cases where the desired latitude of this adjustment is small, the

left hand end (Fig. 1) of shaft 8I may be journailed say in a spherical bearing 8IB, thus permitting a moderate angular displacement of the shaft without affecting seriously the operating relation between gears 88 and 1.8.

There has briefly been described, the plurality of feed rolls, their general function and drive arrangement; also the rotary segmental roll or cam constituting the abutment for coiling, together with the drive therefor. There will now 'be described one form of arbor and its mounting.

' carried by the holder IN, is a, further wire guide element I82 provided along its upper surface with a wire groove shown in dotted lines in the several figures last noted, this groove terminating just below (or in some cases just above) the arbor I88. Also mountedjust forwardly of the face portion of the holder I8I is a pitch tool I83 which is fixed to a reciprocable rod or plunger I84 shown in dotted lines in each of Figs. 1 through 7. Plunger I88 extends rearwardly throughthe tool holder I8I, which is provided with a bore therefor and is susceptible of a moderate horizontal reclprocal movement so as to provide for actuation of member I83 in a manner to impart at intervals, the desired pitch to the successive convolutions of the-coil as formed.

Actuation of the pitch tool I88 is cared for by a transverse pin I88 at its inner end, the latter of a bellcrank lever, a shorter arm of which is identified at IN, the lever having a fixed pivot at H supported by a bracket III and the latter provided with an adjustable stop screw II2.

Periodical reciprocal actuation of the bellcrank lever is cared for by a cam and follower assembly which is or may be similar to that shown and described in Patent ,1 9,002, whereby there is provided for a variable range of reciprocation of an actuating rod 98 of the last numbered patent, but the counterpart of which is indicated at H3 in the present drawing. It will be seen that rod H3 is actuated through rotation of cam II4 carried and operated by shaft 28, this cam engaging a roller (not shown) carried by an arm H5 with which is associated a lever I I6. This structure is or may be identical with the cam and follower assembly of the last mentioned patent.

It will be understood that in the structure presently shown, adjustment is provided for varying the latitude or range of movement of the plunger I04 and hence of the pitch tool, this adjustment being cared for in the present arrangement through manipulation of the hand wheel 91, in variation of pitch control effect, even during operation of the machine.

In the interest of simplifying illustration, the present drawing includes no provision of a cutting tool by which, in many machines, the coiled spring in finished length is severed from the attached wire stock. This omission is in conformity with preferred practice in producing certain types of special springs characterized by non-circular turns, for example, such as shown by Figs. 8 and 9. Partly because of the speed of producing springs of this kind, it is preferred to cut off the desired lengths of coiled spring by separate operation. However, an examination of at least certain of the preceding patents will indicate the obvious possibility of supplyingthe present machine with a, cutter tool and actuating mechanism therefor, which is or may be identical, for example, with the structure shown in Patent 2,170,984 in which a vertically reciprocable cutting tool I3 is movable between guideways by an arm tumable with a cutter shaft, and a suitable mechanism for actuating such shaft being shown and described in yet another of the letters patent referred to, viz. #2,119,002. It will accordingly be understood that if and when a cutting tool is desirable, it may readily be supplied in accordance with one or both of the two patents last mentioned.

Rieferring now somewhat more in detail to the structure of the bending tool 15, this is shown, as earlier mentioned, in the form of an incompletely circular cam, disc or wheel, attached to and rotated by the shaft 8|. A land portion I20 corresponds, generally, to a lobe, nose or high portion of cams of certain designs in other fields of mechanics. The portion I20 is identified as that part of the rotary bending tool which isformed on a full radius, and on a true are drawn on the center of shaft 8| by which the bending tool I5 is rotated. This arcuate peripheral portion I22 is preferably provided with a wire groove I23, which may be somewhat more shallow than the wire-receiving grooves of the guide elements and feed rolls as heretofore described. Besides the radius of the arcuate portion of this tool, which is carefully chosen in the production of a spring of given form and dimensions, the length of land is also of considerable importance in determining the shape of the coil turned out by the forming tools, the length of land being the circumferential length of the true radius portion of the tool. Furthermore, as has heretofore been mentioned and will later more clearly appear, the speed of rotation of the cm or tool IS in relation to the speed of rotation of the feed rolls, is of importance. Besides the .land portion of the tool 15, the nature and angular extent of the clearance portion of this tool, which includesall peripheral portions other than the land portion, and which is identified at I24, plays an important part in the shape of the finished coil.

A brief reference will now be made to the nature of the particular form of spring or coil for which the illustrated machine is set up to produce. As best appears from Figs. 8 and 9, each convolution or turn of the coil of Fig. 8 will appear when viewed endwise of the whole coil, as shown by Fig. 9, and will be characterized by two opposite parallel linear portions I25, which are connected by half-circular end portions I28. Springs of this type will usually be characterized by a substantial pitch,'as suggested by Fig. 8; this is however a matter to be determined according to specification and required usage.

Referring now to the several steps characterizing the whole operation of forming or coiling a wire stock, as in a spring or the like, and assuming, as revealing to best advantage the present improvements, that the spring is characterized by non-circular convolutions, the length of wire stock W is fed from the right (Fig. 2) as from a supply roll or the like, between the guides 40 and H, thence between friction feed rolls 35 35 and 36, thence between coacting guides 42 and 40. itial timing of the bending m1 is and the feed rolls, as a result of which any necessary changes in timing or setting the machine may be effected. When satisfactorily adjusted, the machine is power operated as described, through motor I3, Pulley I5, shaft II, speed-change unit 20 and.

shaft 28. Through adjustment as by manual control lever 2|, the desired speed of machine operation is arrived at by the operator, and a direct operative relation established between gear and the rotary bending tool 15. After the first few turns of the coil are completed, the rate of feed to the coiling zone defined by and between the bending tool II and arbor I00, is carefully so determined by manipulation of control wheel 82 of the varidrive unit 80 as to result in the completion of exactly two revolutions (when producing the spring S) of the cam or tool I8 during the time the feed rolls have advanced just enough of the wire stock to form one full convolution or turn, but no more than this requisite amount. The adjustments during initial operation will include a nicety of control of setting, through the manual control member 92, of the distance relation between tool 15 and arbor I00 in such manner that the end portions I26 of the coil .are exactly degrees in arcuate extent, it being noted that this adjustment, made by moving the bending tool nearer to or farther from the arbor, results desirably in attaining a perfectly flat" spring. To this end it is necessary that the arcuate ends of each turn merge into the straight sides of the coil at opposite points exactly 180 apart in the finished coil. In case these arcuate portions meld into the linear portions at less or more than the asaaeso ting and the arcuate extent necessary for perfect flatness of completed coil. The machine includes provision for a control of spiralling, such that the subsequent metallurgical operations on the coil, such as heat treatment and setting, will result in aflnished spring of perfect flatness.

Proceeding/now to the several steps of the coil formation per se, these are best illustrated in the order of actual events by Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 in order. Fig. 3 illustrates a starting end of the stock W being moved into the forming zone, and the approach in counterclockwise direction of the land portion I22 oi tool 15. In Fig. 4 the leading margin of the land portion I22 which may, if desired, be tapered off or chamfered very slightly, has just begun to engage, with a wiping action, the leading-end of the wire stock, with the result of bending same over the partly cylindrical surface of arbor I00. It should be borne in mind that during this time the stock is continuously forced forwardly (to the left in the figures) against the bending tool as an abutment, although the wiping action of the tool sometimes may assist to a slight degree in drawing the stock over the arbor. The continuing forward motion of the stock W and the subsequent step of bending by tool 15, is shown by Fig. 5., By the time tion of a wide variety of springs or other coils characterized by convolutions of other than circular shape, through individual substitution of a variety of diiferent bending tools such as 15. These may, for example, for springs of certain forms, be characterized by shorter or longer land the trailing end of the land of tool I! has reached the position shown, one of the arcuate ends of a single convolution is formed. The U-shaped pormoved as shown by Fig. 6 to an extent corresponding with the length of one of the linear portions of the coil turn, and by this time the stock is again engaged by the leading end of the land- '85 tion now formed, once the land of the rotary tool proceeds beyond the arbor, wilLnow be bodily In practice, in the absence of a cutting tool or other cutting provisions on the machine itself, it has been found convenient to dispose a small length of rod or tubing stock in front of the machine so that its end extendsinto the forming zone, such rod serving as a temporary support for the thus-formed elongate coil. In practice it has been found entirely practical to run out coils to a length of say ten or twelve feet for later cutting into units of desired length.

In practice the radius on which the arcuate surface of the arbor Hill is formed, is preferably established slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the arcuate portions of the coil. The exact dimensions or curvature of the arbor are not closely critical, but the arbor radius should be small enough to permit bending of the stock sufnciently through the recoil of the wire, and yet not so small as to create an excessively sharp bend instead of a true curve.

It will now have appeared as entirely feasible to provide, with a given machine, for the produccam or bending tool 15.

portions I22; they may in fact be characterized by spaced lands instead of a single continuous land, and accordingly be characterized by spaced clearance portions; It will now have appeared that an almost endless variety of coil forms may be attained merely by variations in design of the For example, the arcuately bent portions of spring turn may be intervened by connecting lengths of wire of any dissimilar formation, depending upon the form of cam periphery, the present arrangement lending itself almost without limitation, to the alternate impression of diil'erent shapes on successive portions of the wire stock in each convolution of the finished coil.

Besides the latitude. range and variety of difl'erent dimensions and shaping possible by substitution of different contours on the bending tool 15, it will have appeared that a still further variation in shaping of individ 1 turns of coil is possible by reason of the mark d advantage in the use of a variable speed device in the timed drive of both feed rolls and bending tool. It will now have become apparent that solely by modifying, within limits, the rate of wire feed in relation torate of rotation of bending tool, it is possible to eifect a number of changes in the shape of the individual convoiutions, and hence in shape of the whole coiled unit.

There cannot be overstressed, the advantage in formation, particularly of continuous length of I the coil, of utilizing both a continuously operating feed means and a continuously rotating bending tool; similarly, the feature of driving the feeding and coil-forming elements in closely timed relation, and the adjustment through which may be controlled the, spiralling tendencies have proven invaluable in actual production usage.

'It will now have appeared that the apparatus serves fully to attain each of the several objectives hereinabove expressly set forth and numerous others now evident from the description of parts and operation. Although the invention has been described by making reference to but a single form, the detail of description is to be understood solely in an instructive rather than in any limiting sense, many variants being possible within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

I claim as myinvention: a

1. In a machine for coiling wire or the like, a plurality of rotary feed rolls, a coiling arbor, a rotary coiling abutment, means for continuously and concurrently rotating the feed rolls and abutment, and means for controlling the relative rates of rotation of the feed rolls and rotary abutment,

- said means, rolls, arbor and abutment coacting to effect, successively, the feeding of the wire stock, formation of said stock into an arcuate portion and the feeding of a further portion of wire stock which is continuous with said arcuate portion.

2. In a machine for coiling wire, as in a spring or the like, a plurality of feed rolls of continuously rotating type, a coiling arbor, a continuously rotary coiling abutment, means for rotating the rolls and abutment, and means constituted by a succession of active and inactive portions of the abutment, which upon rotation serve to eifect spaced periods of coaction of said abutment and arbor, whereby to effect in order the feeding of the wire stock beyond said arbor, the feeding and bending of the wire stock against the abutment into a fragmentary coil portion of predetermined length, followed by the feeding of a further length of wire continuous with one end of said frag- V rnentary coil.

wbination of a plurality of coacting feed rolls capable of rotative movement, a coiling arbor, a rotary coiling abutment normally rotatable with the feed rolls, means for adjusting the distance relation between said arbor and said abutment I during rotation of the abutment, and means for controlling the relative rates of rotation of the feed rolls and the abutment.

5. In apparatus for coiling a wire stock, as in the formation of a spring or the like, the combination of a plurality of wire feeding rolls adapted for rotative movement, a coiling arbor, a rotary abutment normally continuously operable in a region adjacent/the arbor, and means for rotating the abutment in predetermined timed relation with said rolls, the rotary abutment being characterized by a succession of active and inactive zones presented in turn to the wire as fed thereto, and serving during a given extent of abutment rotation, to deflect the wire stock fed by said rolls about the arbor, and thereafter to permit passage beyond the arbor, of a predetermined variable portion of the wire stock.

6. In a machine for coiling wire or the like, as in the formation of a spring, a plurality of rotary feed rolls for the preformed stock, a coiling arbor, an abutment rotatable with respect to the arbor, the abutment being in the form of a cam characterized by a succession of land and relieved portions, whereby as the cam is evenly rotated, said portions coact with the arbor so as alternately to deflect the wire stock fed by said rolls into an arcuate portion, and to permit the unobstructed passage of a further connected portion of the wire stock beyond said arbor, and means for varying the timing of operative connections between the feed rolls and the rotary abutment, whereby definitely to predetermine a particular instant relation of the abutment to the wire stock being fed beyond the rolls.

7. In a machine for coiling wire stock, as in the formation of a spring or the like, a plurality of coacting rotary feed rolls'for the wire stock, a coiling arbor, a continuously operable rotary abutment member adapted to coact with the arbor, the rotary abutment member being formed with successive portions differently spaced from the arbor as the abutment is rotated, and the abutment member being so related to the coiling arbor as selectively to deflect the wire stock fed by said rolls into an arcuate portion, and to permit passage of predetermined length of the wire stock, while connected to one of the arcuate portions, beyond the arbor.

8. In apparatus for coiling a wire stock, as in the formation of a spring or the like, a plurality of coacting rotary feed rolls, a coiling arbor, a continuously rotatable coiling abutment arranged to operate in the region of the arbor, the rotary abutment being characterized by a wire-wiping land portion, means for rotating the rolls to cause feeding of the wire stock to a forming region near the arbor, and means operating in timed relation to the roll rotating means for rotation of the abutment, the land portion of the abutment arranged to coact with the arbo'r to cause deflection of the wire stock about the arbor and into an arcuate portion, and the rotary abutment further being provided with relatively relieved portions permitting, during a portion of its rotation, passage of another part of the wire stock to a region beyond the arbor.

9. In a machine for coiling wire as in a spring, a plurality of coacting rotary feed rolls for wire stock, a coiling arbor, a coiling abutment rotatable on an axis in the region of the arbor, means for rotating the rolls to cause feeding of the wire stock and means coacting with the first said means for rotating the abutment, while the rolls are rotating to deliver a length of stock suflicient for one convolution of the coil, first to deflect a predetermined length of wire over the arbor, and during further rotation of the abutment, to cause the feeding of a further length of wire stock continuous with said deflected portion.

10. In a machine for coiling a wire stock, a plurality of coacting feed rolls, a coiling arbor and a rotary coiling abutment operable in the region of the arbor, and means for effecting and controlling a relatively timed driving operation of said rotary abutment and the feed rolls to effect the continu-- ous feeding, first, of a predetermined yet variable length of wire stock past the arbor and the abutment, secondly the fiexure of said wire against the abutment, and thereafter the feeding of a further predetermined yet variable length of wire (0 past the arbor, all during formation of a single convolution of the coil.

11. In a machine for coiling a wire stock, a plurality of coacting rotary feed rolls for the preformed stock, a coiling arbor, a rotary coiling abutment, means for concurrently rotating the abutment and the feed rolls including means for varying, within close limits, the relative timing thereof to form the wire stock as fed continuously by said rolls, into an arcuate portion with ad- Jacent unbent portions, all within a single convolution of the formed coil.

12. In a device for coiling a wire stock into the form of a spring or the like, a plurality of coacting feed rolls acting on the preformed stock, a coiling arbor, a rotary coiling abutment, coacting elements constituting means for driving the feed rolls and the coiling abutment in accurately predetermined timed relation durlng rotative movement of the rolls, to form the wire stock during feeding thereof by the rolls, into a convolution of the formed coil including an arcuate portion formed over the arbor, and an adjacent differently formed portion of predetermined length, merged into the arcuate portion.

13. In a machine for formin a coil of wire such as a spring, a plurality of coacting rotary rolls for feeding wire stock to a forming region, an arbor asaaoso rolls, an arbor, and a rotary cam-having a substantially segmental land or lobe, the cam being adapted for normally continuous rotation on an axis parallel to that of the arbor.

15. The combination of rotary rolls for feeding wire stock to a coil-forming zone, an arbor in such zone, and a rotary wheel adjacent the arbor and characterized by a mutilated periphery.

16. In a device for forming a coil of wire as in a spring or the like, feed mils for-wire stock, a cam element and an arbor element, one of said elements arranged for rotation at a predetermined substantially uniform rate, and concurrently with the feed rolls. and means to enable a micrometric distance adjustment between said elements.

17. The combination in a machine for coiling wire stock, of rotary feed rolls, a rotary cam and an arbor in the region of the cam, a slide by which the cam is carried and arranged for a translatory movement toward and from the arbor, and a micharacterized in that the rotary element is a finely threaded member coacting with a fixed frame portion and adapted for manually eifecting' precision distance adiustbents between the axis of the cam and the arbor.

19. In a device-for forming a wire stock into a so coil such as a spring, a feed roll assembly for preformed wire stock, a winding arbor and a rotary coiling abutment, means including gearing for driving the rotary abutment, means including gearing for driving the feed rolls, and a variable speed-ratio device for connecting the drive gearing for the feed rolls and abutment, and arranged for coordinating, variably and predeterminedly, the rate of rotation of the feed roll assembly and the rate of rotation of the rotary abutment.

20. In a spring coiling machine, a feed assembly, an arbor and a rotary coiling abutment arranged in coacting relation, and means for varying the shaping of individual convolutions of the spring, said means operable for said purpose to effect a variation in ratio of rotative speeds of the feed assembly and the rotary abutment.

21. In a machine for coiling wire stock, as in the production of a. coil spring, rotary feed rolls for the preformed wire stock, a forming arbor and a rotary abutment operable in the region of the arbor, means for manually effecting a micrometric adjustment of distance relation between the rotary abutment and the arbor, and means for effecting a micrometric adjustment of speed ratio between the feed roll assembly and the rotarv abutment.

22. In a wire coiling machine of the type including a continuous wire feed device, a coiling arbor and an abutment, a mutilated wheel constituting the abutment, and arranged in close adjacence to the arbor, and means for concurrently and continuously rotating the mutilated wheel and the feed rolls.

23. The combination and arrangement of ele ments as recited by claim 22, further characterized in that the mutilated wheel is characterized by an active abutment portion having a wire engaging groove th erein.

CHARLES R. BERGEVIN. 

